Review: "An Hour Unspent" by Roseanna M. White

After penning two really enjoyable entries in the Shadows Over England series, Roseanna M. White is back to conclude the series with Barclay's story ... and it's the story that I've been waiting for!

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Once London’s top thief, Barclay Pearce has turned his back on his life of crime and now uses his skills for a nation at war. But not until he rescues a clockmaker’s daughter from a mugging does he begin to wonder what his future might hold.

Evelina Manning has constantly fought for independence but she certainly never meant for it to inspire her fiancé to end the engagement and enlist in the army. When the intriguing man who saved her returns to the Manning residence to study clockwork repair with her father, she can’t help being interested. But she soon learns that nothing with Barclay Pearce is as simple as it seems.

As 1915 England plunges ever deeper into war, the work of an ingenious clockmaker may give England an unbeatable military edge—and Germany realizes it as well. Evelina’s father soon finds his whole family in danger—and it may just take a reformed thief to steal the time they need to escape it.

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Roseana M. White's Shadows Over England series is a great example of a series that gets better as it goes along! The series as a whole is about a family of theives—brought together not by blood, but by commitment to one another—led by oldest brother Barclay Pearce. In An Hour Unspent, we finally get Barclay's story.

Barclay works for the mysterious British government agent Mr. V, using his skill set to aid the war effort. When he's sent to work with a clockmaker on a project that could turn the tide of the war, he meets Evelina, the clockmaker's daughter. When Evelina gets to know Barclay and his siblings, she finds a functioning, loving family ... something that her family has not been ever since tragedy struck in her childhood. Barclay and Evelina form a tentative friendship that seems poised to become something more, and as danger edges ever closer, they have to learn to rely on each other and on God.

I loved every single thing about this book! Barclay's determination to honor God with his skills and his struggle to figure out what that looked like. Evelina's backbone. Evelina's father's sudden spunk. All of Barclay's siblings. A long-awaited (and quite surprising) glimpse into Mr. V's personal life.

Though An Hour Unspent clocks in at 409 pages, it doesn't feel that long—the plot moves along quickly with plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader engaged. I really liked the first two books in this series; I loved An Hour Unspent!

I was thinking recently that, while I've read a lot of books I've enjoyed in the last several months, it's been at least three months since I've read any that I could see making my yearly top ten list. That ends today, though. An Hour Unspent is easily one of the best books I've read so far this year! 5 stars.

Buy the book.
Follow the tour:
The Avid Reader, October 30

The Power of Words, October 30
Back Porch Reads, October 30
Kat’s Corner Books, October 30
Janice’s Book Reviews, October 30
Where Faith and Books Meet, October 31
Reading Is My SuperPower, October 31
Faithfully Bookish, October 31
Genesis 5020, October 31
Fiction Aficionado, November 1
Among the Reads, November 1
The Lit Addict, November 1
Just the Write Escape, November 1
Multifarious, November 2
Godly Book Reviews, November 2
Real World Bible Study, November 2
Madeline Clark, November 2
Reflections From My Bookshelves, November 3
Christian Bookaholic, November 3
Inspirationally Ever After, November 3
Bookworm Mama, November 3
Bigreadersite, November 3
Blogging With Carol , November 4
D’S QUILTS & BOOKS, November 4
Life with the Tribe, November 4
The Becca Files, November 4
Kathleen Denly, November 5
Cordially Barbara, November 5
Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, November 5
Simple Harvest Reads, November 5 (Guest Post from Mindy Houng)
God’s Little Bookworm, November 6
All-of-a-kind Mom, November 6
Faery Tales Are Real, November 6
Christian Chick’s Thoughts, November 6
Carpe Diem, November 6
Margaret Kazmierczak, November 7
Locks, Hooks and Books, November 7
Christian Author, J.E.Grace, November 7
Blossoms and Blessings , November 7
Maureen’s Musings , November 8
Connie’s History Classroom , November 8
Book by Book, November 8
Just Commonly, November 8
cherylbbookblog, November 9
The Christian Fiction Girl, November 9
Have A Wonderful Day , November 9
With a Joyful Noise, November 9
KarenSueHadley , November 10
Tell Tale Book Reviews, November 10
Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, November 10
Baker kella, November 10
Bibliophile Reviews, November 10
Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, November 11
Inklings and Notions , November 11
Two Points of Interest, November 11
Inspiration Clothesline, November 11
A Baker’s Perspective, November 11
Henry Happens, November 12
Texas Book-aholic, November 12
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, November 12

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Roseanna is giving away a grand prize of a signed book, a London mug, and a 48-pack Twinings tea sampler!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/d570/an-hour-unspent-celebration-tour-giveaway

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Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award nominated author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two kids, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary. You can learn more about her and her stories at www.RoseannaMWhite.com.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free through Celebrate Lit. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."